A Clean Slate
by SequoiaFlames
Summary: After a mission gone wrong, Naruto sustains an injury that will change his life forever. Gaara desperately wants to keep his precious Naruto close to him, but it's like he is slipping farther away every second.
1. How it Happened

Ugh. I guess I just can't write anything long...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters in any way!

* * *

We are back-to-back, fighting off a group of fifteen troublesome robbers. Sand rotates around Naruto and I gently, deflecting each of the enemies' weak attacks. I stand calmly, feet apart, arms crossed, eyes slightly narrowed. I could hear Naruto yelling things like "Eat this!" and "Take that!"

Suddenly, I feel the heat of his body leave mine. "Naruto?" I say, my face creasing with a frown. He is a lot more prone to attacks than me, and he tends to rush into things without thinking. "Are you alright?" I don't turn around, though. It would be a good time for an enemy to attack. Of course, I have Sand Armor, but it has failed me before.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" he replies in a moment, and I return to my calm state. I am taking a little break from Kazekage (Temari and Kankuro had insisted) and am staying in the Leaf Village for a while to visit my old friend. He demanded going on a mission with me, for some reason. We got an easy mission, much to Naruto's dismay, but he agreed to come along and scare away some bandits.

I continue to demolish the enemies, and before long, they are all unconscious or have escaped. Turns out they're nothing special. I turn around, expecting to see Naruto covered in dirt and laughing about how easy that is, but he's not there. "Naruto!" I cry out. "Naruto, where are you?"

Desperate to find my friend, I spend the next hour or so searching, not caring about what would happen if the enemies woke up. There doesn't seem to be even a trace of him, so I walk around the area quickly, not wanting to miss any clues or keep Naruto waiting. There's something wrong, and I know it.

Finally, I stumble across Naruto, but I almost wish I hadn't.

He's lying on the ground, covered in dirt and dried blood, holding a bloodstained Kunai knife. The most disturbing thing is the bleeding gash on the side of his head. Immediately, I check for a pulse. It's there, but weak. I hurriedly scoop him up in my arms, my heart pounding, and run all the way back to the Leaf Village.

I'm sitting outside a hospital room. Lady Tsunade is in there, healing Naruto, and my mind is racing with possibilities, each more ridiculous than the last. And it's my fault, really. I should have made him stay next to me, not just let him fight by himself. I could have easily killed all the enemies at once, but the assignment is to maim and not kill, if possible. I sigh and hope for the best.

After a moment, Tsunade comes out of the room. "Is Naruto okay?" I demand loudly.

She sighs. "Well…"

"Is he okay?" I repeat loudly, narrowing my eyes.

"He's not dead-"

"Good!" I exclaim, momentarily relieved.

"But," she snaps, "his memories have been purposefully removed. I don't think there's anything even I can do for him."

"What?" I splutter, my voice rising again. "Well… can I see him?"

"You'll have to wait while we get him into a room."

I scowl, pouting like a child, and cross my arms.

Tsunade walks back into the room she had come from. A few minutes later, she and a couple medics came out with Naruto on a stretcher. The blonde's head is wrapped in bandages and he is sleeping peacefully. I walk with them into a hospital room and sit down next to my friend.

"He'll be waking up in a little while. Do you want to be alone?"

"Yeah," I reply, not even glancing at her. I hear the door slide shut.

I take Naruto's hand in mine and whisper, "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Review please!


	2. Surprise!

Ahh! Another short one! -shot-

* * *

I wake up, blinking open my eyes slowly. My vision is blurry. My mouth feels dry and my head aches. Then I realize that these words, all of them, mean nothing to me.

Who am I?

Where am I?

Who is this boy hovering above me?

I just notice him. He has reddish hair, eyes bordered with black, and a strange red tattoo on his forehead. I say quietly, my voice hoarse, "Who are you?"

He looks sad. Crestfallen. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" I say stupidly, staring at him. The sight of him makes my head hurts more, like something that should be there disappeared.

His frown deepens, as if I have disappointed him. "I'm Gaara. You're in the Hidden Leaf Hospital. You really don't remember, Naruto?"

I blink. "Naruto," I parrot. "That is my name."

He nods, brushing gentle fingers over the side of my head. I wince in pain, and he withdraws his hand immediately.

"What happened to me?" I say.

This makes him look even more depressed. "We were on a mission together, and I wasn't paying attention. Somebody must have taken you away and you lost your memory."

He said this all very fast. "I should have paid attention… I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault, believe it," I croak.

Gaara smiles sadly. "I promise that I'll find whoever did this to you."

"Why?"

The boy looks surprised. "Because you mean… you mean a lot to me."

I still don't understand why he is saying all this, so I look away from him and think about it. I close my eyes, wanting to go back to sleep, but before I do, I feel hands on my shoulders and skin against my mouth. I open my eyes to see Gaara with his lips pressed over mine. This means nothing to me. Still, a warm tingling sensation spreads around my body. It feels kind of… good.

He lets go of me, but before I have any time to say anything, he is already gone.

Over the next few hours, I fall in and out of sleep, my dreams obscure and nonsensical. I wake up a few times when a pink-haired girl enters and checks on me. She looks as ashen and upset as Gaara. Several faces come and go, each one strangely familiar, yet I have no idea who they are. A calm, gray-haired man. Two ridiculous-looking, bowl-cut sporting people who keep on cheering me to push through and yelling about the power of youthfulness. A man with a scar across his face. Nothing much happens during these visits, but it still exhausts me.

Finally, the pink-haired girl shoos away a boy with a large dog and sits down next to me, sighing. Her eyes are red and puffy, as if she has been crying. "I guess you don't remember me, either?"

I shake my head slowly. She is pretty.

"I'm Sakura. I've been friends with you for about four years. You don't remember a thing?"

"No," I reply honestly. I wish I remembered.

"Well, is there anything I can do for you?"

"I don't know," I say.

"Alright. I'll be on my way, then." She stands up from the chair, but I catch her by the wrist.

"Wait," I say. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"You know that… that Gaara?"

"What about him?"

"I think he kissed me."

* * *

Review please!


	3. Awkward

Yeah... I deleted my other two stories because they were just like -facepalmfacepalmfacepalmthis ishorrible-. I think I started too many at once and subsequently ruined all of them. This one isn't too bad yet, though, so... yeah.

Anyway, I have yet to hit that 1,000 word mark. XD Each chapter will be from a different POV - Naruto and Gaara, mainly. I might put in one in Sakura's POV.

* * *

Damn it…

I roll over on my bed and groan. Shukaku might have been taken out of me, but I can't fall asleep today.

Why did I kiss him?

This is just so messed up. I don't love Naruto. I don't love anyone. The only time we touched (while not fighting) was when I offered him a handshake. And that was after he helped revive me.

So why did I kiss him for no reason? How do I face him now? What will he say?

I'm sleeping in a Leaf hotel, because if I go back, Temari will probably force me to come back, and it's too late at night to go anywhere, anyway.

I remember the scene in disturbingly clear detail. He looked so innocent at that moment, so ridiculously beautiful, I guess it was just impulse.

Do I love him? I wonder, unsure of myself now.

This is an idiotic thought, I decide. I could never imagine myself in love. I'll visit him again tomorrow and everything will be fine.

Oh, who am I trying to fool?

For the rest of the night, I toss and turn, attempting to fall asleep but failing miserably.

* * *

The next day, I get up at seven o' clock, rubbing my eyes and yawning. I suppose I fell asleep for a few hours.

I get dressed, brush my teeth, and eat breakfast, then decide to buy some Ichiraku ramen for Naruto. Just because he doesn't remember it doesn't mean he can't enjoy it, right?

I head off to the hospital. I sign in and start to walk of the Naruto's room, which, apparently, I have remembered by heart.

On the way there, I bump into Sakura, literally. She looks surprised, then bows nervously and murmurs, "S-sorry, Gaara," not meeting my eyes the entire time. She then hurries off, walking so fast she's practically running. That's strange.

Ah, whatever, I think, and continue to Naruto's room. I slide open the door and duck in, smiling at him faintly. "I brought you ramen."

He blinks. "Eh?"

"You liked it before," I reply.

"…" He picks up the steaming bowl of ramen, then takes off the lid and picks up the chopsticks. Painstakingly slowly, he picks out a few noodles and eats them. "Ooh, this is good!" he said, grinning, and chomping down the noodles. Within seconds, the entire bowl is gone.

I see that his ramen-eating skills haven't decreased with his memory loss.

"Hey," he says softly, pointing a finger in my face. "The circles around your eyes are thicker."

"Y-yeah…" I reply, backing away a step. I didn't think losing one day of sleep would be too noticeable.

"Can you tell me?" Naruto says. I'm relieved that he changes the subject.

"Tell you what?"

"About my life."

"Right. How do I put this…? You have a demon sealed inside you."

His eyebrow twitches.

"The nine-tails, Kyuubi, to be exact. I used to have the one-tail, Shukaku, inside me."

"I see. But what about me, and my life?"

I nod. As the Suna is allied with Konoha, I have a good amount of information. Whatever they don't tell me is filled in by Naruto. "You are a ninja of the Leaf Village. After graduating from the Academy, you, like everyone else, were put into a team with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Your teacher is Kakashi Hatake.

"Unfortunately, Sasuke was branded by Orochimaru, a very powerful ninja, and left the Leaf Village for power. He wanted to kill his brother, Itachi, for destroying his clan. However, even after Sasuke defeated Itachi, he did not come back. He apparently wants to destroy the Leaf Village to restore his clan and sever the bonds he had. Ever since, you have chased after him and come very close to bringing him back several times. He has refused, however, and you two have battled many times."

Naruto is reacting rather calmly to all this, which seems out of character. "And who are you?" he prompts.

"I'm Gaara. I'm the Kazekage of the Village Hidden in Sand. I used to be the one-tail Jinchuriki, but the Akatsuki, a group of criminals after the Tail Beasts, extracted that from me. There was a little incident where I was dead-" Naruto's eyes widen. "-but that's over now."

"So, did the Akatsuki do this to me?"

"It's very likely, yes. But I don't know why they would take your memory instead of extracting the nine-tails."

"I… I want to ask you something else," he says, looking suddenly nervous.

Oh crap. It's about the kiss, it has to be. Oh my god oh my god oh my god…

"Yes?" I say calmly.

"Why did you ki—"

Suddenly, the door slams open. Sakura comes in, carrying a small tray, her face pinker than her hair. "I-I'm sorry, Gaara. You'll have to go for now. I'm giving Naruto his medicine."

I could swear that Sakura was listening at the door, but I'm grateful that she popped in before Naruto managed to finish his sentence.

Relieved, I leave the room and hurry back to the inn.

* * *

Review please!


	4. Wondering

This chapter is extraordinarily short. Well, at least the last one was pretty long. And I just posted the last one yesterday.

Get ready for strange, all-over-the-place, irregular updates! Yaaaayy! (boo'd)

* * *

**-Time Skip: Two Weeks Later-**

From now on, the pink-haired girl comes in less and less, and when she does, she always looks agitated. Instead, a blonde lady who calls herself Tsunade checks in on me.

I don't mind, however. It doesn't matter much to me.

The visitors slow from almost every free spot to just occasionally. Gaara is a recurring one, coming in almost every day for a short while. I often pretend to be asleep while he comes in, just to avoid any awkwardness.

I have not been able to forget that kiss, although I've tried. It apparently does mean something, because Sakura seemed a little upset when I told her.

Just a little.

Back to the kiss.

The thing is, it wasn't that it was bad, actually - it's that it was…

Good.

I mean, was it supposed to be? It was this strange, unfamiliar tingling feeling, spreading from my lips to very tips of my toes, the coil compressing in my belly, and I couldn't _breathe_,but it was in a good way.

Oh, and that ramen stuff was pretty good too.

Never mind.

Whenever Sakura comes in, I try to talk to her, but she doesn't seem to want to talk to me too much.

She has reduced the time she comes into my room to a few seconds a time. She simply sets down the pills and a cup of water on the table next to me, then leaves. A few minutes later, she comes back in and takes away the empty cup, then leaves.

Every single day, the same thing.

I try to talk to her every time, but she seems pretty upset. I eventually give up and quietly allow her to set down my things and leave without a word to me. I obediently eat the painkillers, letting myself slip in and out of sleep.

My constant, splitting headache has now dulled to a small, ignorable throbbing. Tsunade has not removed my bandages, although my wound has mostly healed already. I sneak outside a couple times to get some fresh air, but am always found and dragged back to the hospital.

Eventually, they have to tie down one of my hands to the bed so I stop leaving the bed.

Gaara laughs when he sees me with my arm restrained. He seems to have expected this.

About a week later, he tells me he is going back to the Hidden in Sand Village. I feel a little sad at this, because whenever it isn't super awkward, it's not bad being with him.

When he leaves, his absence really is disappointing. I realize how boring it is without anybody to talk to, and I nearly bite through the rope trying to get out of there.

Tsunade forcefully tells me to stay the _heck_ in bed and _not _to get out unless the village was under siege and I was going to die if I didn't move.

I yawn and stretch, sighing in content, and wonder…

What the hell am I going to do about this?

* * *

Review please!


	5. Considering

Wheeeee! I spit out another chapter! This one is in Sakura's POV. It's kinda crappy, but it's acceptable. I guess.

* * *

I know it isn't his fault. I know I shouldn't feel this way. I know that… so why do I still treat him like this?

I'm sitting in the middle of my favorite restaurant, waiting impatiently for Ino to meet me. I really need someone to talk to right now.

A few minutes later, Ino finally shows up.

"Ah, I'm sorry I'm late!" she cries, jerking me out of my reverie. "I had some extra work to do around the shop and I totally forgot..."

"Oh, it's okay," I say, slightly irritated. "I need to talk."

"Oh sure. Go ahead."

"Just promise me something, 'kay? Promise that you won't tell anyone about this. And that you won't freak out."

"What's so important that I have to promise?"

"Just do it!"

"Fine, I promise."

"Naruto told me something while I talking to him the other day. He said that Gaara… Gaara kissed him."

"EEEEEEEIIIIPPP!" Ino squealed in delight. So much for not freaking out. "Ooh, that's so cute! And what did Naruto

think?"

"Well, he didn't seem to realize how much this could mean."

"Oh. Really?"

"Yeah. And you know how socially retarded Gaara is. I mean, he only gave Naruto a handshake after the blondie saved his life." (1)

"So he kissed Naruto for no reason? He must reaaaally like him." Ino giggled in a very fangirl-ish way.

Sakura felt relieved, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "What do you think I should do? I know that it isn't right, but I just can't face him anymore. It's been driving me crazy."

"Oh, that's tough," Ino murmured. "But you really shouldn't be like this. He needs somebody to talk to as well, you know."

"I guess… I'll give it a try," I mumble. "Thanks, Ino!" I leave the restaurant and head to the hospital.

The first thing I do is go to Naruto's room. I thrust open the door to find Naruto attempting to chew through his rope. He stares at me and for a moment, I stare back.

Kami, what do I say? "Naruto… I-I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" he replies innocently. Is he teasing me?'

"For how I'm been acting. If you want to talk… about anything… I'm here for you now."

"Oh. Thanks, Sakura!"

"No problem," I say, smiling nervously.

"Something has been bothering me."

"Really? What is it?"

"The rope. I want to moooove," he moaned, tugging at the rope.

"I wish I could help you there," I giggle. "But Lady Tsunade really doesn't want you to move."

"Aw, Granny Tsunade?" he complains.

"Anything else?" I wonder.

"Yeah…" he says, his smile dropping. "About, y'know, Gaara."

"Yes?"

"You know the kiss?"

"…"

"I… sorta… kinda… maybe… liked it…?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Sakura?"

"…"

"Hellooo?"

"I-I'm sorry. I just need to go."

He stares at me, surprised, as I run out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me.

God damn it. Just when I started to be friends with Naruto again, he drops another bomb on me.

I know that it isn't his fault. He just doesn't understand the situation.

I don't know why I feel this way. Why I care so much about him and Gaara. I should be happy that they might like each other, right?

But I'm not.

There's one justification that would explain everything, but that's impossible.

I've never felt this way before, though.

It's jealousy.

This is ridiculous.

I could never like Naruto.

So all those years, when Naruto was chasing after me, I pushed him away, but now that he forgets everything, I start liking him? No wait, I don't like him.

Do I?

No, I don't! Gah, what is wrong with me? How could I ever like Naruto, or even consider the thought?

Maybe this is just too awkward for me to think straight. Gaara doesn't exactly seem like the gay-type guy.

Plus, I'm shy of my monthly deadline, which was never a pretty sight because of the mood swings, pain, and out-of-control hormones I would suffer.

No, I don't love Naruto.

I can't.

* * *

(1) That annoyed me a lot.

Whew. Sakura is just... and Naruto... and they're just like... -splutters-

Review please!


	6. Dreaming

Wheee! Out with the next chapter! I really should make these things longer. But the updates are fairly fast compared to other stories so I guess this is acceptable. Somewhat. I was going to switch back and forth between Naruto and Gaara's POV, but now this is kinda just all over the place.

Onward!

* * *

_(Naruto's POV)_

Did I screw up again?

Oops.

I thought it was all okay when Sakura said she was sorry, but apparently, it isn't.

What is up with her? Why does she keep running away from me?

Or maybe it's me. Is it wrong that I liked it?

Geez, girls are so weird.

I start tugging at the rope with my free hand. It's tied ridiculously tightly, knotted over and over. Still, I work away at the loops for the several hours I have for myself until my hand is sore.

Finally, the knots come loose.

I'm so overjoyed I almost cheer, then leap out of bed (which brings on a wave of dizziness) and run to the window. I pry it open and jump out. Since I'm on the first floor, it isn't too far to fall.

I sigh and breathe in the fresh air, then veer of the path into the forest, I don't go too deep in there in fear of getting lost and making Granny Tsunade even more angry, so I stay near the edge and lay down under a tree.

Content, I let myself fall asleep.

* * *

_Gaara's face contorts into a snarl._

_"Shadow clone jutsu!" A puff of smoke, and a clone appears._

_His – or my? – hair was spikier than normal, eyes red and pupils slits, the whisker marks on my cheeks thickened._

_The clone moves his hand over mine and a blue, spinning ball forms in my hand._

_I realize suddenly that I have no power over what I do._

_"Rasengan!"_

_I lunge at Gaara, holding out the blue thing, but a wall of sand shoots up from the ground. The ball pushes through about halfway, then the sand shoves me off. _

_I cry out and fall backwards, slamming into the dirt and skidding across it._

_The redhead darts forward, pinning me against the ground._

_We're both sweating, bleeding, exhausted, but I love it. Every second of it._

_He grinds his hips into mine, our lips crashing together roughly._

_"Finally got you, little fox."_

I suddenly wake up, sweating and panting, for a second I don't know what to do. Then…

.

.

.

"HOLY SHI-"

Two voices interrupt my outburst.

"Damn it, where is he?"

"We'd better find him or Lady Tsunade will throw a fit!"

The voices get closer to where I am laying half-asleep. I make a sleepy noise that sounds something like a groan as the unknown people drag me up, but I fall asleep again.

I wake up in the hospital to see the angry face of Granny Tsunade leaning over me.

"Stop running away!" she cries desperately, flinging her arms up into the air.

I wince and grin sheepishly.

I notice that my wrist has now been handcuffed to the bed.

She shakes her head and sighs. "I'll remove the bandages later today. I was going to let you go sooner, but since you obviously can't handle yourself, you'll be leaving in a week, or later."

I whine in complaint, jingling the handcuffs.

Tsunade glances at the clock, then says, "I don't have time to waste with you. Patients are waiting for me."

I stare at the handcuffs mournfully, then slowly raise a hand to touch the wound on my head. It doesn't even hurt anymore.

I take a deep breath, then yank the handcuff so hard, the entire bed shakes violently, but still, the handcuffs don't come off.

Whatever, I think, and start humming to myself to pass the time.

Trying to think about anything but that dream.

* * *

_(Sakura's POV)_

I finish checking in on Choji (He ate too much barbeque. Again. You'd think he'd have learned by now, but I guess not.) and walk outside, ready to go take my lunch break.

Then Lady Tsunade taps my shoulder. "Sakura?" she says, voice clipped and brisk.

I turn around and bow to her. "Yes, Lady Tsunade?"

"I have an emergency situation that I must deal with, and it will take a long time. I promised Naruto I'd change his bandages today, and if that doesn't happen, I won't hear the end of it. Remove Naruto's bandages, you know what to do." Without waiting for a reply, Lady Tsunade turns around leaves me alone in the hallway. I wait until the clicking of her footsteps faded away, then sighed, trying to calm down.

What will he say to me?

I slowly get Naruto's medicine, then, heart pounding, walk to his room and slide open the door.

He raises his head to look at me, but says nothing. Well, how anticlimactic. That's strange, he usually yells hello at the top of his lungs just to be annoying.

"I'm here to take off your bandages," I murmur.

He nods.

I ask him to raise his head and he obliges. I slowly unwrap the white cloth and examine the wound.

It's mostly healed now – it's unbelievable the things the Kyuubi can do.

The deep wound is now just a white scar across his temple, a couple places still scabbed over, but overall it looks fine.

I nod approvingly and throw the bandages away, then set down his medicine and leave for my break, wondering all the while why Naruto was so quiet.

* * *

Yes, I just had to put that dream in. Please try not to poke holes in it. Let's just say that his subconscious still remembers, kay? X3

Review please!


	7. Meditating

Wow, this looks a lot longer in Word.

Anyway, I have a ridiculous amount of ideas for other stories. I keep going off to write them and ignoring this one. I have a new policy to make at least two chapters and have a plot outlined before I post, so I don't have to delete any stories.

So, in short, updates might be a bit slow.

**Also, to my reviewers – thank you so much. It really helps to know that people are reading this. :3**

Happy Easter, everyone!

* * *

(Gaara's POV)

I'm back in Suna.

I'm glad, and a bit surprised, to find that Temari and Kankuro have done an okay job handling filling in for me. They handled most of the paperwork and did everything they could for the two weeks that I was gone.

I slide into my chair, in a trance, mind wandering off to Naruto every few seconds. I write the occasional word or two down, but my heart's obviously not in it.

Then, I glance at the clock and realize that, for the last two hours, I have accomplished nearly nothing, neither with my dilemma, nor my Kazekage work.

I push the distracting thoughts out of my mind and fill in all the papers I have to do, listening to the occasional mission report from the shinobi. The Sand Village is more important than my own petty feelings – I can deal with my emotions later.

I stack the last piece of paper into the dangerously tall 'finished' pile, then glance outside. The sun has begun to set. There should not be any more people coming in here.

So I gather up my gourd, take everything I need, and head back home.

The moment I open the door, Temari comes to greet me. "Evening, Gaara," she says smoothly. "Great timing. Dinner will be ready in five."

I nod and walk up the stairs to my room. I set down my gourd and stretch. Since I really can't do anything important in five minutes, I lie down on my bed and close my eyes, but not to fall sleep.

I used to do this sometimes while I still had insomnia, just close my eyes and think. About things.

Kissing people, for example.

I lie in my bubble of meditation, thinking about the situation, uninterrupted.

I kissed him, and that is that. I cannot change the past no matter how much I want to.

I just need to find a way to redeem myself. But how? He probably thinks I'm crazy or something.

Or worse, he thinks I'm crazy and _told everybody in the Leaf Village_.

No, he would do that (probably). Naruto may act like an idiot, but he knows what to keep to himself. Or does he? He did lose his memory.

It's just that I love him (A/N: as a friend, you pervs), and I may have put our entire relationship (1) on the line in about five seconds.

The first friendship that I had, the one person who changed my life and my beliefs for the better, has forgotten everything, and to make the situation worse, I _kissed_ him.

Bottom line, I cannot afford to lose Naruto.

"Dinner!" Temari cries.

I stand up and jog down the stairs, then sit down at the kitchen table with my siblings.

The dinner looks delicious. Temari has made rice with cooked fish. Still, I pick at the food in distaste, and notice Temari and Kankuro giving each other a look.

I blatantly ignore their occasional glances and instead think of Naruto, about that thing happened. I totally zone out and drop the chopsticks.

"Oi, oi, Gaara!"

"Huh? What, Kankuro?" I reply, shaken out of my trance.

"I asked you a question like, five minutes ago!"

"Oh. What was it?"

"Are we going to the festival?"

"The… festival?"

He rolls his eyes. "Uh, you know, the festival in Konoha that we go to every year? We're going, right?"

"Of course," I reply, remembering the annual parade in the Leaf Village.

This is another chance to go the Konoha, to mend my friendship. I had better not fail.

Kankuro pushes his plate to the middle of the table. "I'm done," he announces.

I gulp down my dinner quickly and say, "Thank you for the meal."

I'm about to go upstairs and waste some more time over this, but Temari says, "Wait a moment, Gaara. I want to talk to you."

"About what?" I say innocently.

"You've been acting kind of funny since you got back from The Village Hidden in Leaves. What happened there?"

"I appreciate your concern, but nothing is wrong, Temari," I say coolly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Well, if there's anything you need to say, just remember, Kankuro and I are always here for you."

With that, she picks up the plates and leaves the dining room. I shrug and walk back up the stairs, aware that my sister has come back out and his staring at me.

* * *

(1) I thought it was a tad strange that Naruto when to such lengths to save Gaara in the anime, and called him somebody that he cared for greatly. I understand that Gaara reminds Naruto of himself when he was younger, but they talked, like, two times before.

Review please!


	8. Back to School

Eugh, late one. Least I finally got past that 1,000 word hurdle. -yay-

**Me: **Hmm, Naruto should get a new apartment.

**Tsunade: **What? No. All that fool did was get himself hurt. Anyway, he's fine with the one he has now. Right, Naruto?

**Naruto: **I guess. ... Wait, what? No-

**Tsunade: **See?

**Me:** Okay then. Old, crappy apartment it is.

**Naruto:** But I-

**Me: **Onwards!

* * *

Damn, my life is a mess.

Yes, I've been moved back into my apartment, but since I'm not supposed to do shinobi duty for a while because it's dangerous for me or something, it's almost as boring as it was in the hospital. Almost.

Sakura comes in a lot, almost every day, to tutor me and reteach me all the things I apparently forgot.

I've caught onto what Sakura wants me to do. I've dropped the subject of Gaara completely, so as not to make her too uncomfortable.

Her being here is kind of bittersweet, I suppose. I like having a friend around (except when she punched through a wall – that was _not_ funny), but keeping the "secret" pent up is horrible.

I chew on a stick of pocky, making myself ramen at the same time. I hum absently, then hear a sharp knock on my door.

Well, it's not Sakura. She just lets herself in.

I open the door and see a familiar face – a man with crazy silver hair, his face buried in that book of his, as always.

"Kakashi?" I say.

"Yo," he replies, and waves to me.

"Lady Tsunade told me to invite you to the Annual Leaf Festival. It is to celebrate the shinobi. The Sand Village will also be attending, since we are now allies."

I remember what Sakura has taught me. The Sand Village is that the one led by Gaara, in the Land of Wind, I think. "Oh, cool. When is it?"

"Next week. Sakura will go into the details with you."

"Okay. Hey, do you want lunch? I'm making ramen."

"Bye then." He disappears in a puff of smoke.

I shrug, close the door and walk back into the kitchen to continue my lunch-making.

A few minutes later, I sit down at the table with a steaming pot of ramen in front of me. Smirking, I gulp down the whole bowl in a few seconds and dump the dishes in the sink.

Yawning, I stretch out on the couch. I'm tired, but I don't particularly want to sleep. I seem to have developed a phobia since that dream. Sakura noticed and prescribed me sleeping pills on the third day, but I haven't used them for a while. They only make me unable to wake up from the nightmares.

The door slams open. Sakura lowers her foot and closes the door.

"Your apartment is a dump," she complains. "I wish you'd let me help you clean it up."

"Yeah, you told me about ten times," I groan in reply. "If you clean it I won't be able to find anything."

"Whatever," she says, kicking a dirty shirt out of the way. "Kakashi-sensei said to tell you about the festival."

"Yeah."

"The festival is to celebrate and spread appreciation for the shinobi, who help out the citizens with all their problems. There are a lot of shows and dances put on by the ninjas themselves. Since we are allied with them, the Sand Village will attend as well, and participate in all the events."

"Sounds good. So I'm going, right?"

"That's right. Lady Tsunade will let you go, as long as I – or another ninja – stays with you the entire time. Somebody's out to get you and we don't want you to be hurt."

"Okay, okay. When can I go back to shinobi duty?"

"Forget about that. You'll need to relearn all your techniques and go through the Ninja Academy again."

"Awwwww… Wait, what's the Ninja Academy?"

"What's the – ugh! Baka!" Sakura cries, punching me on the head. "Didn't I tell you about it yesterday?"

"And I listened to you talk about it yesterday," I reply with an insincere voice, rubbing my scalp.

"Yeah, sure you did. Anyway, it's where young children and beginners do their first years of training."

"So I'll be with little kids?"

"Well… yes. But since you technically know all of the stuff already, it shouldn't be too hard."

"Can't you just teach me everything?"

"Sorry, I'm busy with medical training. I don't particularly want to, either. You're a pretty difficult student."

I groan and flip over on the couch.

Sakura stands up and stretches. "First lesson at the Academy is tomorrow at eight o' clock sharp. Someone will be here to escort you over, so be ready."

"Yeah, okay."

I keep my face buried in the couch armrest until I hear the door close. Then I roll over again.

I can't fight it any longer. I haven't slept for the past two days and I'm really, really tired. The couch is so… soft…

* * *

The alarm clock rings somewhere. I reach my hand out to throw it across the room, but only find empty air.

Oh, I must have fallen asleep on the couch yesterday.

Wait, yesterday? I slept through a whole day.

And that's not my alarm clock. It's the doorbell.

Oh, crap! Someone's here to pick me up! I jump out of the couch, brush my teeth in about two seconds, change, and leap into my shoes.

With no time to make breakfast, I just run to the door and open it to see a brown-haired man with a scar across the bridge of his nose. Iruka.

"Hi," I pant out.

"What took you so long?" he replies. Then without waiting for an answer, he just rolls his eyes and says, "You ready?"

"Uh, yeah," I say, figuring it can't be that bad to go without breakfast.

"Come." He leads me down the stairs of my apartment, through several paths, and to a building near the Hokage's place. "This is the Academy."

"Hn."

I walk in with him through a couple hallways, then go into a room.

It's filled with little kids. They practically mob me as I walk in, screaming and pulling on my jacket, asking me loud, random questions.

"Woah, kids!" Iruka says as I stare at him helplessly. "Get back in your seats, now!"

The children, disappointed, slowly make their way back to their desks.

"Everyone, you already know who Naruto is and why he is here. So, let's have our lessons as always."

I walk to a desk and sit down. Immediately, chaos erupts.

"I'm sitting with Naruto!"

"No, you're not! I am!"

"No, me!"

"You don't deserve him!"

"Like you do?!"

"Shut up!"

"You suck!"

"Ow!"

Iruka stood up and slams a book onto his desk. The screaming stops. "You should be ashamed," he says, scowling and crossing his arms. "Naruto will get his own desk. If anyone so much as looks at him, you will be getting detention." He sits down. As did all the screaming children. "I'm sorry, Naruto. Usually it isn't this crazy here."

The rest of the day, I pay attention to the lesson the best I can. The information feels familiar and is easy to remember. Jutsus, hand signs, it's all easy. Which is good because I'm starving and that makes it all the harder to focus.

My performance in class earns many stares of admiration and smiles from Iruka. When the bell rings, I leave, feeling accomplished.

* * *

I thinkIruka is a little OOC. I don't even remember how he acts anymore.

Review please!


	9. Repairing

This chapter was kind of hard to write, so I got a little ahead of myself and ended up writing the epilogue first. XD There'll be two more chapters after this: the epilogue and important stuff that I always forget earlier.

On we go!

* * *

The week has passed quickly. Everything is easy and familiar to my hands – shuriken practice, kunai throwing, hand-to-hand combat – as if I've done it a hundred times. Which I probably have.

Soon, I have made the top score in the class. Well, considering I'm a 16-year-old in a class with 7-year-olds, it's not all that impressive, but I'm still proud.

I head home with Iruka. We make a quick stop so he can buy me ramen (we made a bet that if I got a full score on the next test, he would have to treat me), then get over to our house. I wave to him and relax. When I'm about to grab some supplies and go train with Sakura or something, the aforementioned pinkhead walks in.

"Hi, Sakura!" I say cheerfully.

"Hey," she replies with a wave.

"Why're you here?"

"To remind you about the festival tomorrow. Dress up nicely, I'll bring you there. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

"Festival… oh yeah. Totally didn't forget."

"Whatever, dobe. Want to go train or something? Tsunade let me off early today."

I smile at her. "That's what I was thinking! Let's go."

I grab her wrist and drag her outside, into the edge of the forest. There are a couple posts and painted targets here, courtesy of Iruka-sensei.

She smiles. "I haven't gotten a chance to show you my new skills yet, right? Come on, watch."

I stare at her expectantly. She walks over to a post, with no weapons or anything. Suddenly, she lets out a cry, raises her fist, and punches it. I expect her to recoil, to yell in pain because she just _punched a wooden post_, but instead, something completely unexpected happens. The wood splinters under her hand and the top half falls onto the ground.

"Wow," I say.

"Wow is right!" she replies huffily, and raises her chin proudly. "Although I'm still not nearly as good as Lady Tsunade. You see, you've got to focus chakra into your hand and it-"

"I really don't care," I interrupt, and she looks like she's about to punch me in the face. After seeing her demonstration, I unconsiously back away a step and continue, "Let's practice throwing kunai! I'll bet I can aim better than you!" I toss her a kunai knife. "Loser has to treat the winner to lunch."

She catches it gracefully and smirks. "Okay, on the count of three."

"Mhm."

"One."

I ready the knife.

"Two."

Raise it."

"Three!"

I throw it at the painted target. It lands almost perfectly, just a little off from the center.

Unfortunately, hers lands spot on in the center.

"Haah! You have to treat me!" Sakura taunts, laughing.

I scowl. "Hn."

We go on like that until dusk, showing off our skills. I do a clone jutsu and a transformation jutsu. She punches through a couple more things.

Overall, that evening was an awesome one.

* * *

-The Next Morning-

Time for the festival, I guess. Last night, I went to a clothing store with Sakura argued over what I would wear for almost half an hour with her until finally, with her guidance, we chose out a white, collared shirt and khaki shorts.

Her exact words were, "You'll want to wear something better than" – she made a face and pointed at my current clothes – "that."

I throw on the shirt, leaving several of the buttons unfastened and attempting to make the shorts, which are rather ugly in my opinion, look cool. Ten minutes later, I give up completely.

At one o' clock exactly, the doorbell rings. I open it and see Sakura, dressed in a beautiful pink kimono that matches her hair.

"Wow, you didn't kick down the door for once," I comment.

"Whatever," she says, then spots my shirt and frowns. "Hey, the buttons are there for a reason, you know." She fixes the shirt accordingly and nods. "There, that's better."

"Ugh. Let's go."

We go to a huge stadium-like building near the Hokage's office and enter. It is dome-shaped, with a soaring, glass ceiling, tables set up with food and drinks, and a large stage up front. It's already has a lot of people screaming and cheering and eating and dancing to the music blaring over hidden speakers.

"Wow," I murmur.

"So, what do you want to do?" she asks.

"I think I'm just going to sit down for a moment," I reply, and sink down into a chair, trying not to make my headache worse. The music is too loud. "I feel kind of sick."

"Sure," she replies.

I close my eyes and put my head down, and, for once, really think about Gaara. It's funny that in the hospital, when I lay there and did nothing for weeks, these thoughts didn't even cross my mind.

It was good. I liked it, loved it – it felt wonderful. Not the kind of feeling I get around Sakura, although that's nice too. It was tingly and fluttering, and made my throat clench up and heart beat a pace faster. The rush, the layers of feeling. I could _feel_ it.

It's hard to find words that can explain it right – all I can say is that it was beautiful. It was more than just friendship.

I get up suddenly.

"Are you better now?" she asks.

"Yeah, I'm good," I lie.

For the next hour or so, I eat and dance to the music and talk to people I don't know.

"Hey, where's the Sand Village?" I ask Sakura eventually.

"They should be here any moment. They're probably just a little late. It takes time to get here all the way from the Sand Village, you know? The festival doesn't really start until they come."

As if on cue, the doors opens and in comes Gaara, followed closely by a blonde girl and a man who has a painted face and is dressed in black, head to toe, then a crowd of people nearly matching Konoha's population.

The Leaf People swarm in to greet them, but still keep at a respectful distance. They're intimidated by Gaara, even though he's smiling slightly.

He is introduced by Tsunade on the stage and shakes hands with her, then the performances begin. First is a girl from the Leaf Village, performing a dance routine. I notice that when Gaara is leaving the stage, his eyes search the giant crowd until his piercing gaze finally lands on me.

A few minutes later, I spot his red hair swimming through the crowd towards me. The crowd parts to allow him through. He then yells over the deafening music, "I need to talk to you!"

I nod and follow him outside, where the silence is a relief.

The moment the heavy door slams shut, I say, "Is it about that..." I struggle to find a word, and wave my hands in frustration. "… that thing?"

His expression remains emotionless, although his brow furrows slightly. "Yes. I apologize in advance for it. I swear it won't ever—"

"No," I say, cutting him off. I can hear the blood pounding in my ears. "It's not that it was bad. Actually, it felt pretty good. I guess I was just surprised, that's all."

"Really?" he says, his eyes widening slightly. And smiles. Genuinely smiles. He looks so overjoyed, I can't help grinning as well.

"Yeah." A moment of awkward silence passes between us. "I guess I want… another one."

In reply, he wraps his arms around me and does it again.

The only difference is, this time, I kiss him back.

* * *

Dawww, wasn't that sweet? :3 I rushed it, though. Grr. Well, it's still cute, so I like it. I write cute fluff a lot better than I write angst, it seems.

Yaaayy this story has ended (sorta).

Review please!


	10. Important Decisions

Did I say the epilogue would be next? Oops. I forgot about Sakura, so I needed to add her in here. Sakura's POV.

I changed the title. Is it better or worse?

* * *

It's so adorable seeing Gaara and Naruto together.

They show their love subtlety, with just a brush of the hand, or a quick hug, or a kiss when they think no one's watching.

It turns out, Gaara is pretty possessive. He doesn't have many bonds, so I'm not surprised he clings to this one so urgently. When he thinks someone is getting too close, or who is too pretty, he shoots them a glare that makes them back off. He did that to Hinata one time, and she almost had a nervous breakdown. Naruto never seems to notice Gaara doing this.

I think back to when I thought I had developed a crush on Naruto. I wasn't just the usual crazy out-of-control teenager hormones – I did like him, even more intensely than I did Sasuke. I never have understood love completely, though I thought I did before, and probably never will. Maybe him chasing after me made him seem repulsive or something, and now that he isn't particularly interested, I like him. I hate how love works.

I confessed to him just to get it off my shoulders, and asked him if he would like to go on a date with me. She just shuffled around for a while and muttered something. I asked him what was going on, and he said, very, very quickly, "I'm already dating someone!"

"Who?" I had wondered. Hinata? No way. She would never have the guts to confess.

He mumbled a little more, then finally whispered, "Gaara."

I was a little surprised, but then I congratulated him and smiled through all the weirdness and pain. The kiss must have meant something after all.

I remember Gaara at the Chunin Exams, and how I often wondered if he was even sane, and worried for Lee and Sasuke when they had to fight him.

I remember the huge personality change he underwent after meeting Naruto. If the two had never met, then Gaara wouldn't be Kazekage. He would still be the Sand Village's weapon, a lunatic, feared by his own people.

I want him.

Gaara needs him.

The choice is clear – it's time to put my own needs aside. I can't be so selfish my entire life. To take someone like Naruto away from Gaara… it would be like taking the sun away from him.

I only hope I can find someone as great as Naruto.

* * *

That turned out pretty nicely. I think Sakura doesn't know a thing about love, but she's learning, eh?

Review please!


	11. Epilogue

Just a short little thing, the outcome of all this, to wrap it up. Nobody's point of view but mine. ^.^

* * *

Gaara is Kazekage. Naruto is Hokage. The war is over. Sasuke is back. Everyone's happy.

Right?

Well, not exactly.

Sure, Naruto has achieved his lifelong dream of becoming Hokage and finally gaining the recognition he so wanted. But that equals a lot of work and even less time to see each other.

Sure, Sasuke is back. It turns out, he attacked Naruto because he began seeing the dobe as a threat. Naruto said that he wasn't to be blamed and that Sasuke was not sane at the time, and managed to bail him out of jail.

Sure, Naruto finally dragged Sasuke's sorry ass home. However, relationships do not simply heal themselves. Naruto forgave him, but it would take more than a year and failed attempts at optimism for Sasuke to forgive himself.

Few adults approved of the two Kages dating. It was not the fact that they were both men that was particularly upsetting, but the fact that it would only distract them from their work, which, since they were Kages, was unacceptable.

But love was love. Naruto and Gaara both persevered. Their connection had only grown closer despite their scarce meetings, whether the bonding was done over a chaste kiss or watching the sunset or having a picnic in a meadow.

Neither of them made an effort to cover up their relationship, although neither talked about it much, especially Gaara. They were there for each other, and that was all that mattered.

They had begun a little thing they called "Kage Meetup," a.k.a. "Makeout Session." (To be fair, they did discuss ongoing events in their villages. It was only for about two minutes until they got to the good stuff, but that's better than nothing, right?) They would both travel to a point on the border of The Village Hidden in Rain, into a small, abandoned shack, or some secluded area in the forest, once every month, under the guise that they were planning for their villages. This fooled no one, however, as their relationship was fresh gossip all over both Konaha and Suna. Still, people allowed them their privacy, plus, nobody else would travel that far every month just to find out what they already knew.

There were always those times when one of them was allowed a break and visited the other's village, where they would be showered with presents, hugs, and lots of love. They were always welcome, not only by their lover, but by the village as well.

The annual Shinobi Festivals, of course, are always something to look forward to. Dances, shows, and general happiness to go around. But all either of them cared about was seeing the other, and for two entire weeks at a time no less. Not to mention the sentimental values it held.

Yes, they could make this relationship thing work.

* * *

I love the ending, and I think I did a pretty good job with this, for my first story that was not deleted. What do you think?

Review please!


	12. Important Crap

Okay, here we go!

**1. Disclaimer**

I do not own any thing but my plot and my characters (which don't exist). There, now I can't be sued.

**2. Acknowledgments**

Thank you_ so_ much to all my followers and reviewers, especially to: TigrezzTail, Thea Strange, and Rosebunse for their consistent reviews! Love you guys. :3 Extra props to TigrezzTail for this post:

_"Come on, Naruto never had family, he doesn't really understand how love feels. And his crush on Sakura doesn't count! How would he know how to distinguish between his friendship bonds (which he holds onto desperately) to something more? How could he tell the difference in intensity? And even if he did, he'd have forgotten it now with the amnesia. So, you have quite a bit of leeway to work with here. Heh, is Sakura ever going to 'man' up and talk to Naruto? Or is he eventually going to get the hint and just pretend it never happened?"_

I think this review changed a lot in my story. It helped me make some difficult decisions. So, TigrezzTail, thank you again! :D

**3. Anything Else**

The epilogue is supposed to follow the story line in the anime up to now, so he must relearn Rasengan and all that poop.

I always appreciate suggestions. No idea's a bad one! Whether it's an entire plot-line, a beginning, an end, a challenge, or just a pairing, I have no problem with PM's or reviews.

**And one more for old time's sake...**

Review please! XD


End file.
